Posted: Oct 05, 2024
FORT MYERS, Fla.- Giovanna Rocha and Magi Milicevic both posted career highs in kills to lead the #2 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers over the #18 Hillsborough Hawks in Citrus Conference action Saturday at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers. The Bucs earned their 10th win of the season over a ranked opponent and improved to 14-1 overall on the year in the victory while celebrating MVP Day, where each player had their Most Valuable Person from the FSW campus join them on the floor during pregame introductions.
It was a close contest early on between the two old Suncoast Conference rivals as FSW held just a one point advantage at 9-8 over the Hawks to start the first set. A kill from Giovanna Rocha gave the Bucs some breathing room and FSW used the momentum to roll off eight points in a row, highlighted by a trio of blocks from Abby Toeniskoetter to open up the lead to 17-8. The Hawks never threatened again as Magi Milicevic put the Bucs on the doorstep with her sixth kill of the set before Julija Grubisic Cabo hit a rocket down the line to finish things off as FSW took the first 25-14 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Bucs raced out to a 3-0 lead to begin the second and after Hillsborough drew back to within one, another 3-0 burst from the Bucs on a slide from Nina Boledovicova and back to back blocks from Abby Toeniskoetter, Julija Grubisic Cabo, and Patrycja Labucka made it 10-6 FSW. Hillsborough answered with three straight of their own to get back to within a point again, but FSW rolled off five in a row, including a pair on aces from Camilla Brandalise to open the lead back up to 15-9. The Hawks wouldn't go away, rolling off three straight ahead of an FSW timeout later in the set to get back to within two at 20-18. The teams traded points to 23-21 until a solo block in the middle by the Hawks made it a one point game at 23-22. A kill from Milicevic gave the Bucs set point and after Hillsborough fought off FSW's first try, Milicevic continued her big afternoon with a put away to finish things off 25-23 to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
The failed comeback for the Hawks seemed to take the wind out of their sails as FSW raced out to a 7-1 lead in the third, highlighted by a pair of early blocks from Nele Broszat in the middle. With the score 9-5 later on, the Bucs rolled off 13 points in a row with Brandalise at the service line as Grubisic Cabo doubled her kill total on the afternoon with six during the run. It was all over from there as the Bucs finished the Hawks off with an ace from Anna Marzella to win the set 25-7 and complete the sweep of HCC.
The Bucs was locked in once again in the win, hitting over .300 for the fifth time in six matches. Rocha finished with a career high 13 kills in the victory while Milicevic had notched a career high of her own with 10. Grubisic Cabo had her third straight double digit kill match with 13 while hitting .500 in the victory. Brandalise led the Bucs in assists with 30 and aces with 5 while Toeniskoetter was in on 6 of the Bucs 10 blocks in the match.
FSW wins their fourth straight to improve to 14-1 overall while pushing their Citrus Conference record to 6-1 on the year. It is the Bucs 10th win of the season over a team ranked in the NJCAA Top 20. Hillsborough falls to 12-8 overall and 1-5 in league play.
Next up for the Bucs is a road trip to Melbourne on Wednesday where they will square off for the second time this season with #15 Eastern Florida.
